Pebmutation-lock



1.F.GORHAM.

'PERMUTATlON LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 35. 9M.

1,194,286. Patented Aug. 8,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

l. F. GORHAM.

PERMUTATION LOCK. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-[5.191%

1 1 94,286 Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

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SMAWAMII OL jmj'orm IRA F. GORHAM, OF ENSLEY, ALABAMA.

PERMUTATION-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 15, 1914. Serial No. 861,864.

To all w ham it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA F. GORHAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Ensley, in the county of Jefferson and State ofAlabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Permutation-Locks,of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to looks, and more particularly to the class ofpermutation car door locks.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a permutationlock wherein the same is operated through the medium of gears which arecontrolled by permutation knobs so that the lock can be manipulated onlyby a person having knowledge of the combination, thereby avoiding thepossibility of fraudulent entry to the car or other inclosure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a permutation lockof this character wherein the permutation mechanism can be changed oraltered so as to change the combination for the working of the lock,thereby rendering the same safe and practically burglar-proof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a permutation lockof this character wherein the permutation mechanism will have to beaccurately adjusted before the locking mechanism will operate forpermitting the opening of a door.

-A still further object of the invention is the provision of apermutation lock of this character which is simple in construction,thoroughly reliable and eflicient in its purpose, strong, durable andinexpensive of manufacture.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter set forth.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the claims hereuntoappended.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevationof a freight car door frame and door, with a lock constructed inaccordance with the invention applied; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevationof the lock looking toward the inner side of the door frame and door;Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3 of Fig. 1; Fig.l is a view taken approximately on the line 2P4: of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is aside elevation of the lock with one facing plate removed; Fig. 6 is afragmentary verti cal sectional view showing the lock engaged with thekeeper for securing the door closed; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on theline 7-7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical transversesectional view through the handle showing in detail the car seal andhandle lock; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the gears; and Fig.10 is a fragmentary detail plan view of'the slide.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates a portion of the doorframe in the side wall of a freight car or the like, and B a portion ofthe sliding door which is mounted for opening and closing movement asusual. Mounted on the inner face of the door frame at one side thereofis a keeper C, while mounted on the door B is the permutation lock D,both the keeper and the lock being hereinafter fully described.

Secured to the outer face of the door B is a rectangular shapedescutcheon or face plate 10, preferably made from metal, while disposedagainst the inner face of the said door is a base plate 11 supportingthe lock D, which comprises a slide 12 formed with a series of spacedlarge and small circular openings 13 and 1-1 respectively, arrangedalternately with respect to each other centrally of the slide. Formedcentrally of the slide 12, longitudinally thereof, are straight slots 15which connect the openings 13 and lt with each other, and this slide isdisposed between spaced parallel walls 16 and 16 of a housing 17 whichis secured in place by means of bolts 17 passed through spacer collars18 interposed between the rear walls 16 of the housing and the baseplate 11, the

bolts 17 being also passed through the door B and both the escutcheon orface plate 10 and base plate 11, as shown. Journaled transversely of thehousing 17 in the front and rear walls 16 and 16. are spaced stud axles19, each supporting thereon a pair of juxtapositioned gears 20 and 20each formed with a hub 21 provided with diametrically opposed flat orstraight faces Patented Aug.8,1916.

and these hubs 21 are of a size corresponding to the small openings 1 1so that when the same register therewith the gears 20 and 20 are freefor rotation, whereby the straight or fiat faces 22 on the hubs 21 canbe brought into a plane with the planes of the edges of the straightslots to free the slide 12 for movement in contra-distinction to thelocking thereof when the hubs 21 are in the openings 1% and have beenturned to dispose the fiat faces 22 thereof out of the plane of theedges of the straight slots 15 in the slide.

Arranged at one side of each pair of gears and 20 is a pair of operatinggears 23 and 23 which mesh therewith, the gears 23 being supported uponthe squared portions 2st of turning axles 2 1, while the gears 23 aremounted upon squared portions of sleeves 25 for sliding movementthereon, and to rotate therewith, the sleeves surrounding the axles 21which, together with the sleeves, extend through the door B and plates10 and 11, the gears and 23 being formed with circular hubs 26 which arejournaled in the walls of the housing 17, while the axles 21 and sleeves25 extend through the larger openings 13 in the slide 12, as shown.

Interposed between the gears 23 and 23 and surrounding the axles 24 arecompression springs 27 which serve to normally hold the gears in meshingengagement with the gears 20 and 20 so that on the rotation of the saidgears 23 and 23 similar movement will be imparted to the gears 20 and 20for the working of the lock is a manner presently described.

Fixed to the outer ends of the sleeves 25 are turning knobs 28 andlikewise fixed to the outer ends of the axles 2-1 are turning knobs 29,the said knobs 28 and 29 being formed with dial surfaces 30 on which arearranged series of numerals and letters employed to indicate certaincombinations to be worked for permitting the locking and unlocking ofthe lock.

Pivotally supported on the base plate 11 is a series of levers 31, eachprovided with a fork 32 at one end which works against the hub 26 ofeach gear 23, and these levers permit the disengagement of the gears 23with the gears 20 so that the knobs 28 and 29 can be turned for changingor altering the combination to permit the working of the lock, thecombination being effected by the numerals and letters on the respectivedial faces by the matching of certain combinations of letters ornumerals in the ordinary well known manner.

Fixed to one end of the slide 12 is a substantially sphere shapedlocking head 3% which cooperates with pivotally supported outwardlybowed clamping jaws 35, the pivots 36 therefor being mounted in the doorB and adapted to engage stop pins 37 mounted in a frame 38 whichconstitutes the keeper C. The head 3% is formed with cam surfaces 39which engage the concave portions of the jaws to automaticaly move thesame to clamping or unclamping position. Spaced from the end of theslide 12 opposite the head 34 thereon is a turning stem 10 which ispassed through the door B and is journaled in the respective face andbase plates 10 and 11 thereon, the stem being formed at its outer endwith a handle 412, while its inner end has fixed thereto a crank 43pivotally connected to a link 1 1 which is also pivoted to the endadjacent thereto of the slide 12 and on the unlocking of the said slideupon turning the stem 40 it can be shifted to locking or unlockingposition relative to the keeper C on the door frame.

At one side of the stem 10 and mounted exteriorly of the door B is astationary keeper 1-5 with which cooperates the handle 42 for thelocking thereof. The handle 12 is formed in its free end with a slot 16providing a clearance for a beveled nose 46 on the keeper a5, andrearwardly of this nose 46 on said keeper is a notch 47, while formed inthe handle 12 and intersecting the slot -16 is a socket 18 in which isadapted to be placed a disk constituting a seal which, on the swingingof the handle in one direction, is moved upwardly in the slot 48 by thenose 16 and thereafter drops into the notch 47, thus locking the handleagainst turning movement. In the turning of the handle 42 the disk orseal is broken, which permits the free turning of the handle.

lVhen the slide 12 is in position for locking the door the smallopenings 11 will be in registration with the hubs of the gears 20 and 20which have been turned on operating the knobs 28 and 29 so that the flatsurfaces 22 are out of alinement or in the plane of the edges of thestraight slots 15, thereby locking the said slide 12 against movement.Now when the knobs 28 and 29 have been turned for the matching ofcertain letters and numerals selected for the combination to effect theunlocking of the look by an operator the gears 23 and 23 will rotate thegears 20 and 20 so as to turn the straight portions or faces 22 of thehubs of said latter gears into alinement with the slots 15 in the slide12 so that the latter is free for movement when manipulating the handle+12 to unlock the door.

On moving any one of the levers 31 the gear 23 controlled thereby can bethrown out of mesh with the gear 20 adjacent thereto and thereaftereither knob 28 and 29 can be turned for altering the combination for thelooking or unlocking of the lock.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and manner of operation of thelock will be readily apparent, and

a more extended explanation has, therefore, been omitted.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a lock of the class described, a slide having spaced circularlarge and small openings and also straight slots therebetween andcommunicating therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged inseries independent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing witheach other, alternate gears of one series being movable into the largercircular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both seriesengageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces incorrespondence with the slots to be received therein, and mechanism forrotating alternate gears of each series.

2. In a lock of the class described, a slide having spaced circularlarge and small openings and also straight slots therebetween andcommunicating therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged inseries independent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing witheach other, alternate gears of one series being movable into the largercircular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both seriesengageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces incorrespondence with the slots to be received therein, mechanism forrotating alternate gears of each series, and permutation dials includedin said mechanism.

3. In a lock of the class described, a slide having spaced circularlarge and small openings and also straight slots therebetween andcommunicating therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged inseries inde pendent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing witheach other, alternate gears of one series being movable into the largercircular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both seriesengageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces in.correspondence with the slots to be received therein, mechanism forrotating alternate gears of each series, permutation dials included insaid mechanism, and means for shifting certain of the gears withrelation to the other gears to vary the combination of the permutationdials.

4. I11 a look of the class described, a slide having spaced circularlarge and small open ings and also straight slot-s therebetween andCODUHI'IIllCfltlDg therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged inseries inde pendent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing witheach other, alternate gears of one series being movable into the largercircular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both seriesengageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces incorrespondence with the slots to be received therein, mechanism forrotating alternate gears of each series, permutation dials included insaid mechanism, means for shifting certain of the gears with relation tothe other gears to vary the combination of the permutation dials, andmanually operable means for shifting the slide when released by thehubs.

5. In a lock of the class described, a slide having spaced circularlarge and small openings and straight slots therebetween andcommunicating therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged inseries independent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing witheach other, alternate hubs of one series being movable into the largercircular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both seriesengageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces incorrespondence with the slots to be received therein, mechanism forrotating alternate gears of each series, permutation dials included insaid mechanism, means for shifting certain of the gears with relation tothe other gears to vary the combination of the permutation dials,manually operable means for shifting the slide when released by thehubs, a keeper, and means on the slide for engagement in the keeper.

6. In a lock of: the class described, a slide having spaced circularlarge and small openings and also straight slots therebetween andcommunicating therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged inseries independent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing witheach other, alternate gears of one series being movable into the largercircular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both seriesengageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces incorrespondence with the slots to be received therein, mechanism forrotating alternate gears of each series, permutation dials included insaid mechanism, means for shifting certain of the ears with relation tothe other gears to vary the combination of the permutation dials,manually operable means for shifting the slide when released by thehubs, a keeper, means on the slide for engagement in the keeper, andmeans acting upon the gears for normally sustaining the same in meshingengagement with each other.

7 In a lock of the class described, a slide having spaced circular largeand small openings and also straight slots therebetween andcommunicating therewith, a plurality of pairs of gears arranged inseries independent of each other, the gears of each pair meshing witheach other, alternate gears of one series being movable into the largercircular openings in the slide, hubs on certain gears of both seriesengageable in the smaller openings and having straight surfaces incorrespondence with the slots to be received therein, mechanism forrotating alternate gears of each series, permutation dials included insaid mechanism, means with each other, and a keeper for coiipera- 10 forshifting certain of the gears with relation with the manually operablemeans.

tion to the other gears to vary the combina- In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature tion of the permutation dials, manually in presenceof two witnesses.

operable means for shifting the slide when released by the hubs,alzeeper, means on IRA F. GORHAM. the slide for engagement in thekeeper, Witnesses:

means acting upon the gears for normally A. V. SMITH,

sustaining the same in meshing engagement J. A. DUPUY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

